I was stopped at a red light, about a block from where I live, waiting for the green left turn arrow. I'd waited at that light so often I could predict how many cars would make it and how many more wouldn't. It was frustrating, to put it mildly. As the green arrow lit up and the cars started their slow left turn maneuver, I thought I heard a voice inside me whisper, "you can do it. You'll make the light." I counted the four cars ahead of me, watching the driver's mechanical turns, and did what any normal person would do--I argued back.
"No", I responded. "I don't think I'm going to make it".
"Yes, you will", the voice countered.
This went back and forth for a few seconds until I realized I had made it through the intersection without the arrow light turning red on me, as it usually did. Go figure.
The next day, I was stopped again at that same intersection and, sure enough, that little voice in my head popped up again, "Just go. You'll make it". Here we go again, I thought. Who was the expert here? I'd driven round that turn so many times, I could predict by the way the drivers' in front of me positioned themselves whether I'd make that left turn or not. And here, this little voice was egging me on. And it was right too.
Finally, about a week or so later, while stopped at that intersection, I said out loud, "who are you?". This way, the "entity" would know I was talking to "it".
No answer.
"Who are you"?
Silence.
Needless to say, after time, the little voice stopped speaking and I was left alone to fend for myself. I couldn't help but wonder, what was that all about? I've had conversations with myself, as most people do, but this was the first time, I got answers in return. I needed to know more.
That first encounter got the ball rolling and made me more aware of that little voice inside of me, that little voice that resides within each and every person--man, woman and child. I came to see it as God trying to communicate with me at a place where He knew He'd find me--behind the wheel of a car, because I was at my A game there, having little tolerance for other driver's inferior driving skills. But God literally spoke to me in that first, initial encounter and opened my mind up to the possibility that the supreme being of this universe not only existed, but wanted to know me on a very personal level. From that moment on, I started looking for God in other areas of my life and I slowly began to see that He was not just an abstract being or idea but a very real, tangible presence. I began to recognize Him in the fleeting, seemingly unrelated impressions that would cross my mind and give me pause for thought. I "heard" Him (not audibly but thoughtwise) in the little voice that would whisper information to me that gave me an added edge in my job, that would alert me to individuals who had otherwise ulterior motives, and felt His miraculous hand upon me when there were several near miss driving incidents which I couldn't explain away.
God is a spirit and we are made in His image (body, soul and spirit). It is this part of our makeup (the spirit part) where we meet God face to face or hear His voice. Most times our receptors (our hearts) are turned away from Him, but God is always turned towards us. God uses all available means and resources to get our attention--through His Word (the bible), thoughts, impressions, dreams, people, nature, christian music, etc. God never gives up on us, even though most people are not consciously aware of His existence.
I believe God was trying to get my attention that day, years ago, when I was poised at that intersection. He knew where to find me and He knew that, once I discovered His "real" presence, I would start looking for Him. Simply put, that's what it's all about. God wants you, He goes after you and you spend the rest of your life trying to find Him over and over again.
Faith Rocks
C Willson
Welcome to my Faith Rocks blog. My name is Cheryl Willson and I'd like to share with you my thoughts and observations on faith as I've come to see it. You'll find this blog coming at you from an undeniably christian perspective with a little bit of spirituality thrown in for the mix. Just for the record--I'm not here to preach religion or spirituality, but what I'd like to offer you instead is a slightly different perspective on how to operate in faith and more in your everyday life. I hope you'll join with me as I share my take on faith and life and how the two are inexplicably intertwined in this amazing journey we are all called to live out.
If you didn't quite get it at the outset, I am a christian, though I prefer to call myself a follower of Jesus Christ. For many years I was locked into THE BOX that was organized religion until the day I started listening to that inner voice inside of me. When I started to follow the promptings of that voice, I was shocked to discover that, while it still led me to follow Jesus Christ, it was also taking me out of THE BOX and out of my comfort zone. That was the start of my journey and where it all really begins.
People the world over are searching for that elusive something that will satisfy the inner pinings of their heart, that something they can't quite put their finger on, but that they know exists. Some go after a successful career, accumulate material wealth or engage in superficial relationships, yet, even at the top of their game, many who experience these so called "successes" find themselves disillusioned and unhappy at some point.
What all these people (and you and I) are looking for is to satisfy that deep rooted desire in our hearts for the one who made us, the one who created the world and everything in it, the one WHO IS and the only one who has all the answers to all the questions that ever were. It is everyone's search for real truth and real meaning in life that first puts us on that path where we can begin to connect with that abstract entity we have been seeking after, namely GOD. And, in a surprising twist, this God who created us mere humans wants nothing more than a one on one, face to face encounter with each and every person and will find each and every person at the place right where they are, right now. If you have never accomplished anything great in your life, just by virtue of you being you, know that you were purchased at a great price and know that you are worth more than you could ever imagine. But that's another story.
I hope this brief introduction has piqued your curiosity enough for you to want to linger a little and come back for more. I believe God has placed within me a desire for truth in Him and a desire to share that knowledge with the world. So, I hope I've given you food for thought--it is God's will to feed your inner man with the truth--the real truth. Please check me out whenever you can--I look forward to meeting with you again soon.
Faith Rocks
C Willson
